Man facing porn charges stays on planning board

Upper Milford keeps ex-county housing authority director.

October 29, 2004|By Randy Kraft and Dan Hartzell Of The Morning Call

John C. Seitz, who stepped down as executive director of the Lehigh County Housing Authority after being arrested last month on child pornography charges, remains chairman of the Upper Milford Township Planning Commission.

"At this point I'm remaining on the Planning Commission," Seitz said Thursday. "I intend to serve as I've served for the last 20 years out there."

Seitz has been on the nine-member commission for 22 years, the last two as chairman.

"I never had any reason to believe he was anything but an outstanding person," Township Manager Dan DeLong said.

When Seitz asked DeLong for the township's position on the charges against him, DeLong said he responded: "The township's position is do what you think is the right thing to do. But this is still America and you're still innocent until proved guilty. The township doesn't have any opinion other than that."

The 56-year-old Seitz, who lives on Indian Creek Road in the township, was charged Sept. 17 with 12 counts of criminal use of a communication facility, for allegedly using computers in his housing authority office to find images of nudity or sex acts involving minors, and 12 counts of sexual abuse of children for having those images. He is free on bail. A preliminary hearing on his case is scheduled for Nov. 30.

DeLong said Seitz did not attend the Oct. 4 meeting of the Planning Commission, which meets monthly. Seitz said he could not attend because he had another commitment that night but does plan to be at its meeting Monday.

Planning Commission members are volunteers appointed by township supervisors. In Upper Milford, two of the three supervisors also serve on the commission.

Susan Smith, who is chairwoman of the supervisors and a Planning Commission member, had no comment when asked if Seitz has offered to resign or been asked to resign. But DeLong said there have been discussions about the possibility of Seitz resigning.

"There has been no pressure from anybody to seek a resignation," said Henry Kradjel, a township supervisor who has been on the Planning Commission since 1973. "It really hasn't been discussed. We're in a wait-and-see mode, I guess. He's been proved guilty by no one at this point. Let's see where the legal system takes us."

A Planning Commission member may be removed for illegal actions, wrongdoing, misconduct "or for other just cause," according to the state Municipalities Planning Code. The removal requires a majority vote of the governing body taken after the member receives 15 days' notice. A hearing is held if the member requests it in writing.

DeLong said Seitz is a former employee of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission "and is very knowledgeable on planning issues and procedures."

"I can only say his work has been appreciated by the township," said Kradjel, adding he has not spoken with Seitz since the arrest.

Seitz was employed as the township's part-time zoning officer from 1984 through 1998. During those years, the township's computers did not have Internet access, DeLong said.